Well, it happened. Apple has finally shed the albatross that is AT&T and the iPhone is coming to Verizon. After about 4 years of exclusivity to the former Ma Bell (humph), all the Verizon junkies who claim that their service is so much better because they can get 3G in the woods and in national pakrs will get their long-desired smartphone. You could see it coming. AT&T has been plugging their Samsung Windows phone (as well as other smartphones they sell) for months.
Now, we've had the AT&T family plan (myself and my siblings that is) for years, and I must say that I am not totally dissatisfied with the service. Yes it cuts out every now and then (what phone doesn't)...and it doesn't work in places like the DC Metro (not that you should be on the phone down there anyway) and it doesn't work in the woods of a National Park. Verizon does in both places. Nevertheless, it works wherever I need it to. This past September, about 2 months after the iPhone4 was released, I decided that the time had come to retire the old flip phone and lemme lemme lemme upgrade-ya.
I
am
hooked.
Needless to say, I am quite satisfied with my purchase. It is absolutely amazing what that little gadget can do. I can certainly see why there was such a buzz before, during, and after the release.
Now that Verizon is going to pick it up, it's time to kick AT&T to the curb right?
Not so fast.
On Facebook today I saw several updates saying along the lines of "guess who's going to be a Verizon customer in February!" Now, this is not even an option for me because I am on the hook with an AT&T contract for the next 2 years. This is the case with a lot of iPhone owners. Here are some facts:
1) You cannot simply transfer your current iPhone to Verizon service. You have the contracts. Also, remember those simlocks? Yes, you can jailbreak it, but we try to do things by the book here at Caputo's Corner. Besides, if you were going to jailbreak the iPhone, chances are you have done so already.
2) Yes Verizon's 3G covers more people in more places than AT&T's does. But like I said before, I don't see the benefit of having 3G capability in a deserted forest in West Virginia (if that were the case I'd be worried about a lot more than what cell phone service I have). AT&T's service works just about everywhere I have needed it in the past.
3) You're not really getting much of an upgrade from what AT&T currently offers with its iPhone4 (at least I don't see much...at least not yet).
Ever since I bought my phone I have been in several...discussions with Droid users debating the various merits of each other's phones. Basically, the crux of the Droid people's arguments was that their phone came with Verizon. My phone was "stuck" with AT&T. Now that Verizon is getting the iPhone, I wonder if those Droid people feel the same way they did when I discussed this subject with them......
Here's my advice to the anxious iPhone crowd before you commence your mass exodus to Big Red. Take a deep breath...and wait.
Ask yourself. Are you really suffering that badly with your iPhone on AT&T at the present? Do you rely on your phone that much that your capabilities will be that vastly improved with a carrier switch? Besides, Apple has been notorious in the past for botching preorders and don't those lines at 3AM outside the Apple Store look somewhat unappealing? I don't know, I like to be in bed at 3AM...maybe that's just me. Do what I did. Wait a couple months after the release if you absolutely have to have it, and if you have less than a year left on your AT&T contract, let it finish. Now I have heard (speculation) that after the initial release, Apple plans on jacking the price up (at the moment it costs the same as the AT&T iPhone for both the 16 and 32 GB versions). Until we get confirmation that that is in fact going to happen, let's operate under the assumption that the price will stay the same for at least a while.
OK, I think that's pretty good for a first commentary on Caputo's Corner. Fire away below and tell me why I'm way out in left field for even hinting at defending AT&T.
Actually, I prefer my Droid because I believe that when I buy a computer (which is what these are), I deserve admin rights to it, and the ability to develop an App without having to get it approved by the Wizard of Blahs.
ReplyDeleteAs for your Ma Bell comment is that your Uncle Tommy worked for them for 3 decades, thank you very much, and both Verizon and AT&T are spun off from it. It's like cheering for the Jets or the Giants...they're both New York teams.
Yes, yes. We had quite the discussion about life at the phone company during my latest excursion to his neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteAnd good call about the spin off. I did forget that Verizon is in fact one of the baby bells. Its name has changed so many times in the last 30 years it is easy to forget.